An investigation has been launched after an animal rights group released disturbing footage purporting to show dairy cows wading knee deep through thousands of gallons of their own manure.

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said the 'sick and emaciated' cows are forced to stand in the manure for hours even when they are being milked and fed at a North Carolina dairy farm.

Peta demanded several
state agencies and law enforcement conduct an emergency inspection of
the Osborne farm in western North Carolina.

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Disturbing: Dairy cows are filmed trudging through manure in the video released by animal rights group Peta

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture confirmed Inspectors visited the farm last week after receiving Peta’s complaint but found only minor violations.

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Spokesman Brian Long said loose ceiling tiles and rusted metal were discovered in the milking parlour but nothing was found that would constitute a public health hazard.

He told the Charlotte Observer: 'That area was not similar to what was depicted in some parts of that video,' Inspectors are due to return to the dairy.

Local officials reportedly said wet weather had hampered the farmer's ability to keep stalls and runways clear leading to some house cleaning issues.

Many within the industry have
suggested that the video is a set-up with Peta, which is well known for
using shocking publicity stunts, accused of misleading the public.

Skeptics point out that far from looking emaciated and sick, the animals appear in good health.

Health: Peta described the animals as being 'sick and emaciated' and claimed they were forced to stand in the manure even when being fed and milked

Dairy cows eat while standing in gallons of their own manure. Local officials blamed wet weather which they claimed led to house cleaning issues'

After viewing the video dairy farmer Carrie Mess wrote on her blog: 'When I look beyond the manure I see a group of cows that are clean when if they were living in this barn they would be filthy from head to toe.

'I see a feed area with not a scrap of feed in it and my experience in dealing with manure tells me that this stuff has been moved around recently.

'While I don’t know this farmer and I don’t know the story about what’s going on here, to me it looks like these cows were paraded through this area for the purpose of making this video.'

The group's investigator Dan Peden
said he found a document a few days ago at the Osborne dairy that showed
a shipment of milk was headed to Piedmont Milk's bulk tank in Hickory.

He said a Piedmont Milk sales rep told them the plant supplies 'milk exclusively to Harris Teeter.'

But
Harris Teeter communications manager Catherine Becker said that the
grocery chain's supplier, Piedmont Milk Sales Inc., doesn't receive milk
from the dairy farm. She said Piedmont Milk is a raw milk supplier for
the grocery chain's dairy.

Probe: The North Carolina Department of Agriculture confirmed Inspectors visited the farm last week after receiving Peta's complaint but found only minor violations

Calls: Peta demanded several state agencies and law enforcement conduct an emergency inspection of the Osborne farm in western North Carolina

She said: 'Osborne Dairy Farm is a Piedmont producer but, Piedmont has never delivered milk to our dairy from that farm. Again, you will need to speak with Piedmont regarding any questions about that farm.'